The opportunities for PGA Tour players to qualify for the Masters are getting threadbare, with just two more tournaments between now and April’s event at Augusta National.
There are positions waiting to be filled for any player not otherwise exempt who wins either this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open or the Valero Texas Open.
However, even without that guarantee, there is another way for three of the players in this week’s 144-man field at Memorial Park Golf Course to give themselves an excellent opportunity to earn their spot at the Major.
Anyone inside the world’s top 50 the week before The Masters will secure their place and, per popular X world rankings guru Nosferatu (@VC606), Tom Hoge, Mackenzie Hughes and Alex Noren could all climb above that all-important threshold this week, even if they don’t win the tournament.
🚨Only three players who are in the #HoustonOpen field this week could reach Top 50 #OWGR with less than a win to have a chance to get into #TheMasters. These are the minimum finishes needed...green - already qualified for the Mastersgrey - not playing this week pic.twitter.com/CN9bQdgtRnMarch 26, 2024
As the player currently ranked the highest of the three, in 57th, Hoge stands the best chance, and only needs to finish outright fifth or better to be in with a chance of moving into the world’s top 50 and take him within sight of a third appearance.
It is surely not beyond the American, either, who has developed a habit of saving his best for when it matters most as evidenced by the fact that his two top-10 finishes of 2024 so far both came at signature events. Nevertheless, Hoge will need to surpass the T6 he achieved at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and eighth at the Genesis Invitational to achieve his aim.
Another who could be in the top 50 by next week is Hughes, but the World No.63 will need a two-way tie for second or better to give himself the opportunity. He must be feeling confident of his chances, though, after he finished T3 at last week’s Valspar Championship. That moved him 16 places up the world rankings, but can he take another substantial leap for the chance of a fifth Masters appearance?
The player facing the tallest order is 2018 Team Europe Ryder Cup star Noren, who is 66th in the rankings and needs to finish solo second to have a chance of moving into the world’s top 50.
The Swede finished T9 at The Players Championship two weeks ago and will surely be looking to that performance for inspiration as, like Hughes, he looks to book a fifth appearance at the Major.
Of course, even if any of the players reach the top 50 this week, without a win there is still no guarantee they will be lining up at The Masters because of the need to be above the cut-off point a week later.
With the Valero Texas Open still to come, it means jostling for the final places at The Masters will go down to the last few days.
